Portable air conditioning means for brooders and the like



Nov. 14, 1939. w. E. LYON PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONING MEANS FOR BROODERS AND THE LIKE Filed May 8, 1937 RNEY.

. PltlilOd Nov. 14, 1939 r 2,179,893

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE 2,179,: r I

PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONING MEANS FOR BRDODERS AND THE LIKE William E. Lyon, San Diego, Calif.

Application May 8, 1937, Serial No.- 141,552 4 Claims. (Cl. 98-39) The invention relates to means for heating of air friction and tendency to block the flow and ventilating poultry breeders, and is peculiarof air when moved by weak forces, as, for inly valuablein portable breeders of a general form stance, a fan' consuming fifteen (15) watts of now'known. In this respect it has for an 1111- current per hour, or less, as contemplated in the portant object to enable the mounting of a ropresent embodiment of the invention.

tary impeller fan in'such manner that housings Additional objects, advantages and features such as are ordinarily required for centrifugal of invention reside in the construction, arrangefaiis are obviated. Another aim peculiarly rement and .combination of parts, involved in the lated to such type of brooder is to present the embodiment of the invention, as will be underentire motor-fan unit in such assembly with the stood from the following description and accombrooder that the motor and impeller are accessi- Dflnying drawing, in which, l

ble without requiring the removal of cover plates Figure 1 is an elevation of a unit embodying or opening of casings or housings of any kind. my invention, partly in section.

Another aim is to enable the utilization of Figure 2 is a similar view of a modified device.

space in the brooder in a novel way to the end Figure 3 is a cross section of the unit on the of enabling embodiment'of the brooder without line 3-3 of Figure 2. requiring enlargement of its usual housing parts. Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of 8. Particularly it is a purpose to at the same time brooder showing the installation of the unit ilobviate need for any exterior additions to a portustrated in Figure 1.

I able brooder device in order to incorporate thereere s i ustrated in Figure 4 a brooder i0,

with an electrical air circulator. including a top ll of circular form supportin It is also a purpose to eilect a novel circulaan outer peripheral curtain l2 and an inner curtion of air within a brooder; and to provide n i3 sp ced therefrom suitably to provide an eflective circulation within the brooder, regardouter brooder space be w n h wo curtains,

I less of the degree to which the air admission and an inner brooder space within the inner curvalve or shutter is opened. In many such det .vices, when the admission of air is restricted, the FY0111 the p at Suitable intervals, 8 H re circulation within the brooder is correspondingly extended downward, to nga e t e floor i5 or ,damped. This is an important consideration flat Surface p which e brooder y 80 since at the times when brooding is required, and be set, 50 as to support the brooder with the 3') a portable brooder is employed, the floor on t p H at the p p r hei t- Va us t mp rawhichit is mounted will usually be cold, and in ture responsive regulating means may be emthelitter customarily provided, moist from ployed to control an electrical circuit to a mothe chicks or from the heated air within. the tor to be described, and other accessories used r d will nden more r less and dampen as desired, the specific details of these compris- 35 litter, creating a serious threat to the health of ins no es ential part of the present invention the chicks well understood by poultrym My and not being illustrated. If desired, any other invention also attains highly 'eifective ventilatop form may be employed, the invention being tion at all times, retaining the advantage of not limitedto the specific form shown and de- 40 avoiding an excessively heated central zone, while scribed. customarily, m ans is provided to lift 40 yet distributing warmth effectively and with the brooder and suspend it, such means being graduated temperature from the central part of formally indicated at H, engaged with the upper the brooder outward throughout the brooder part of a bail ll engaged with the intake duct or chamber, tube i9 of my ventilator unit. 7 46 It is an important aim to present a novel and This intake terminates at its lower part at a peculiarly effective mounting of an electrical horizontal planiform flange or annular plate ll, heating unit in this device. suspended from the top II by suitable brackets It is an advantage of the invention that a 22. Below the plate 2i and held in fixed spaced minimum of labor and expense for materials is relation thereto 'by spacers 23, there is a hori- 60 involved in providing the necessary air duct zcntal planiform circular plate 24 of greater di-- 50 means, and the length of duct is reduced to a ameter than the plate 2i, having upwardly inminimum. It is also an advantage that the declined extreme circumferential edge portions 25 i'iection of the ventilating current from an exter projected radially beyond the edge of the plate 2 I, nal source to'distrlbute it uniformly throughout but stopping a good distance below the level 5s the-brooder is accomplished with a minimum of the latter (in the present instance nearly of the distance between the plates), so as to afford an air distributing slot 26 between the two, nearly or quite as wide as the space between the plates, to function as will be described. A motor 21 is suspended from the bottom of the plate 24 by brackets 28. These brackets are attached,- and the plates 2| and 24 held in assembly as well as the upper brackets 22 secured to the plate 2|, by means of screws 2! engaged through the brackets, plates, spacers, and nuts 30, forming three continuously connected series of bracket members. 7

The tube l9 maybe inserted in the vent opening of the average brooder and the unit secured as described.

Between the plates 2| and 24, an impeller I] is secured on the shaft 32 of the motor, which projects revolubly through the plate 24. This impeller consists of blades of approved form, operating in close relation to the lower end of the tube I9 and plates 2| and 24, and projecting slightly beyond this opening of the tube. The blades are substantially planiform in their major part with a slight rearward inclination toward their extremities in the specific form illustrated.

- In Figure 2 the device is illustrated as having a lower plate 24 corresponding to the plate 24 first described, but of substantially the same diameter as the plate 2| and alined therewith. outwardly of the plates 2| and 24 a baille ring 33 is mounted in concentric relation to the plates and spaced sufficiently from the edges of the plates to afford good clearance or slots 34 for passage of air upwardly and downwardly between the ring and the plate 2| and 24. This ring is supported by brackets 35 secured to the edge of the plate 2|.

In Figure 2 also a series of insulator knobs 36 are mounted on the plate 24' on which one or more coils 31 of resistance wire may be mounted to serve as a heater for air forced outward from the impeller. These may be connected in an electrical circuit in any approved manner, not

illustrated. They are located midway between the plates 2| and 24 and adjacent the periphery of the latter, so that air from the impeller will impinge upon them and become heated.

Figure 2 also illustrates the possibility of utilizing a lateral air intake by a tube l9 making a proper turn under the top H, so that'it may be led to any desired intake device.

There is formally indicated in Figure 4 an adjustable air inlet device 38, although any other means for the purpose may be employed. It will be apparent that if the inlet is moved nearly to closed position, the action, of the impeller will cause a greater suction of air up through the motor shaft hole in plate 24 and a resultant move ment of air between the plates 2| and 24, which will be communicated 'to that in the chamber, and produce a re-circulation of air and uniform distribution of whatever freshly admitted air there may be, as well as minimizing the liability of accumulation of dampness in the litter.

In the operation of the device of Figure 1, the motor being in operation, the impeller will by centrifugal action and by impingement of its blades upon incident air force air radially although slowly therefrom, and so drawing in fresh air through the tube 19. As the air passes from the impeller the lower air body thereof encounters the upturned part 25 of. the plate 24, resulting in -a slight impedance and deflectionupward and production of gentle, slow gyratory eddy currents which cause the air to become slowed still further in its translatlve motion and to move brooder space, from which air escapes through and under the curtain II. More and more of the air body is gradually drawn downward by these eddies, to the outer part of the space within the inner curtain II, and with displaced air from the central part of the chamber passes through or under the curtain. Outward movement of air is also induced by being displaced by air being continually drawn into the chamber at the central part.

Owing to the fact that the area of the slot 24 is many times greater than the cross sectional area of the tube It, the air passing radially from the impeller moves at a speed much reduced from that of entrant air in the tube and this movement proceeds uniformly throughout the circumference of the slot. with the gradual slowing of the slow eddy currents and other effects above noted, there is no draft or localized current oi sustained direction and speed different from that in other parts of the chamber or fast enough to be disturbing or injurious to chicks, andso no draft" will be produced, such as might tend to affect chicks by excessive air movement. It is contemplated to use regulatory devices 22 with the motor such that its speed will be quite moderate and with the tendency of the warm air in the brooder to move upward opposing the suction of the impeller, this type of impeller and its operation will produce very uniform'and gentle air movements.

The device of Figures 2 and 3 will, either with or without the energization of the coils, develop more extensive eddies in the air passing outwardly across the edges of the ring 33, the top and bottom of which are at the same levels asthe' plates 2| and 24', although this may be varied. This air is caused to move downwardly and radially through displacement by entering air, as well as the downward dispersion being a'cconiplished by the slow eddy currents as before described.

With the coils 31 energized, the heated air ass-- ing from these coils and encountering the ring 33 will thereby be deflected in two parts, upward and downward respectively, into the top and bottom strata of the radial flow from the impeller, and by the eddies occurring subsequently as it moves outward and downward throughout the at proper times to facilitate cleaning, and

consideration for this manner of use and the usual size of such devices, it will be readily ent that by inverting the brooder the unit is completely exposed for servicing of the motor and the replacement of the coils 31 or repair-of. the impeller or removal of the motor may be effected by removal of the screws 20 in any event.

The device of Figure 2 with the ring 22 has the advantage of providing a central zone in which the air will be slightly warmer than that at the extreme outer part of the brooder, so that the weaker chicks requiring more warmth may be accommodated properly while the stronger chicks are hovered in the cooler out'er parts.

It will be appreciated that the sameforce applied through the impeller which serves to draw air in through the tube I, also at the same time directs it outward radially, so that no impedance is developed in diverting the air properly. For oiling and examination it is unnecessary to detach any of the mountings or brooder housing or other parts of the brooder proper.

It will also be'seen that expensive fan housing parts are obviated, and the plates 2i and It may be simple sheet metal blanks. The legs I being customarily of such length as to support the motor above the heads of the chicks, the heating coils are at a safe distance out of their reach, yet require no enclosure for their protection, specially. The motor being well enclosed, as is commen, may be close over the heads of the chicks without liability of injury.

I claim:

1. A ventilator unit for brooders and thelike consisting of a verticalaxis inlet, a rotary impeller mounted on said axis for horizontal rotation and so located as to lie in the upper part of a brood chamber, means to operate the impeller, a plate close over the impeller, and a plate close below the impeller parallel to the first plate and having an outer circumscribing edge portion outwardly of the first plate and inclined upwardly, stopping short of the level of the first plate more than half the distance between the plates.

2. A ventilator unit for brooders and the like consisting of a vertical axis inlet member having a terminal circumscribing plate, a second concentric circular plate spaced therebelow, an electric motor having its main shaft on said axis, the second plate having an opening of a size to receive the shaft therethrough and to provide an air inlet passage, an impeller on the shaft between the plates, said second concentric plate having a circumscribing upwardly inclined edge outwardly of the first named plate, but stopping short thereof suflleiently to form a wide annular slot having a clearway which is a multiple of the cross sectional area of the inlet member, and a mounting for the unit including a series of members each having a terminal upper member constructed for attachment to the under side of the top of a brooder and the like.

3. A ventilator unit for brooders and the like consisting of a vertical axis inlet member, having a terminal circumscribing plate, a second concentric plate spaced therebelow, an electric motor having its main shaft on said axis, an impeller on the shaft between the plates, said second concentric plate having a circumscribing upwardly inclined edge outwardly of the first named plate, but stopping short thereof sufficiently to form a wide annular slot having a clearway which is a multiple of the cross sectional area of the inlet member, and means for mounting the unit upon the under side of the top of a brooder and the like.

4. A ventilator unit for brooders and the like, consisting of a vertical axis inlet member, having a terminal circumscribing plate, a second concentric plate spaced therebelow, an electric motor having itsmain shaft on said axis, the second plate having an aperture of a size to receive the motor shaft therethrough and to provide an air inlet passage, an impeller on the shaft between .the plates, said second concentric plate further having a circumscribing upwardly inclined ed ge outwardly of the first named plate, but stopping short thereof sufficiently to form a wide annular slot having a clearway which is a multiple of the cross sectional area of the inlet member.

WIILIAM E. LYON. 

